There’s never been a better time to dine on South Colorado Boulevard, to explore the foods of international cultures brought by immigrants to Denver.
Dozens of mom-and-pop shops populate the blocks immediately south of Interstate 25, turning the area into a bona fide hub of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, Japanese and Southeast Asian cuisine.
“There’s so much diversity, whether you’re going east, south, north, or west of South Colorado Boulevard, but especially along South Colorado,” said Tram Tong, the co-owner of BoHeo Pho Kitchen, a Vietnamese restaurant on the street since 2024.
With all the options, it can be hard to know where to go and what to order. Below, we have highlighted some of the best restaurants that the busy boulevard has to offer, along with a few menu suggestions to get you started.
Interested in visiting any of these restaurants? We compiled a guide on Google Maps that lists all the restaurants mentioned here and many others found along the boulevard.
BoHeo Pho Kitchen
After navigating the sometimes perilous streets of Denver and opening the door to BoHeo Pho Kitchen, an invigorating restaurant in a drab strip mall right off the boulevard, the smells circulating from the kitchen hit like a rush of euphoria.
Breathe it in — that’s the elements of their beef bone broth, stewed around the clock to supply steaming bowls of pho. It’s also the meats grilling in the kitchen and served over rice and vermicelli noodles.
All the aromas set the scene for Tong’s family cooking, led by her husband, chef and co-owner Chau Pham. Her brother-in-law, Binh Pham, is also in the kitchen.
The restaurant, which opened in 2024, has allowed Chau to “continue to explore and be creative,” Tong said. “His passion is cooking.”
What to order: Crab cheese wontons, with a soft, creamy filling and a very crisp shell, prepared by Binh; jasmine milk tea with mango flavoring, boba and grass jelly, as recommended by Tong.
2553 S. Colorado Blvd. #107, Denver
Crown Burgers
Since day one, the Brokalakis family has sold their signature “royal” burger topped with pastrami. Day one was 39 years ago. The decades make their presence known upon entering the diner, evident by the worn menu boards behind the counter and the, dare I say, charming yellow plastic chairs.
Recently, familial loss has led to some changes at Crown Burgers. George Brokalakis — who founded the burger joint and came up with the idea to add pastrami by using a connection he had in California — died last year from complications of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, his son, Dimitri Brokalakis, said. He was 77.
Dimitri now manages the business for his mother, Stella Brokalakis, who still takes orders at the counter throughout the week. But if the restaurant has an old-school vibe, Dimitri is up to date on cooking trends: He’s stopped using seed oils and started cooking with beef tallow, whose use remains on the uptick across the U.S.
The boulevard’s dining prospects have changed, too, Dimitri said, away from national chains like Hooters and Old Chicago and toward independent restaurants run by immigrants.
“The last 15 years, it has become a very diverse area,” he said. “Foreignized, I guess, is a good word.”
The burger remains a feat of the imagination, a monstrosity if ordered with two patties. The customers, most of whom are blue-collar workers, Dimitri said, aren’t going hungry here.
What to order: Royal burger with pastrami (one patty is enough); side of onion rings, as recommended by Dimitri.
2192 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver
Kiki’s Casual Japanese Dining
A classic in Denver’s food scene, Kiki’s Japanese Casual Dining offers dishes that feel better executed here than at some other Japanese restaurants. Case in point is the chicken curry udon, whose sparse presentation nonetheless contains depths of rich curry flavor and heat. The chewy udon noodles are a common companion to this traditional Japanese meal, one of dozens listed on multiple pages in Kiki’s thick, laminated menu. (There’s another menu dedicated to its ramen bowls.)
What to order: Chicken curry udon; cold soba noodles with veggie and shrimp tempura; table order of takoyaki (fried octopus balls).
2440 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver
LingLon Dumpling House
LingLon Dumpling House’s interior is clean and sparse, but the humble setting belies a wide variety of dumplings, steamed buns and wonton soups. In fact, LingLon made it into the third round of the Denver Post’s annual online food bracket this year, which let readers vote on their favorite Denver-area dumpling spots.
What to order: LingLon dumpling sampler; spicy mala xiao long bao, with pork; taro sweet bao.
2456 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver
Middle East Market
The Middle East Market carries much of what’s necessary to make food inspired by and from a wide swath of the world that includes the Middle East, Africa and the Mediterranean. Here you’ll find packaged and wholesale herbs and spices, such as ginger and turmeric; bags of dry garbanzos, fava beans and split peas; tubs of plain yogurt big and small. Many are halal.
The shelves are also stocked with chocolates and chips seldom found in national grocery chains, jars of pickled purple turnips and assorted vegetables from Lebanon, packs of tea bags and tubs of cooking oils. No need to be nervous — ask at the front for what you’re after, and the staff will guide you in the right direction.
2254 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver
Pupusas Lover
“It’s rare that someone doesn’t fall in love with a pupusa,” said Silvia Quijada Diaz, who with her sister Claudia Quijada opened a hole-in-the-wall spot in 2018 called Pupusas Lover.
She’s not wrong. Her corn pupusas are made to order and cooked over a grill, condensing all the flavors of the filling into one crispy package. But there are so many more golden recipes that she and her sister are bringing to the menu from their native El Salvador, including tamales wrapped in banana leaf with pork or chicken filling and horchata made with morro seeds. That version of the drink, not the rice-based one popular in the U.S., is more traditional to Central America.
There is a list of pupusas to choose from, and ordering at least two is wise if you’re hungry. They’re served alongside three salsas and a “curtido,” or cabbage slaw, that cuts and contrasts nicely with the savory flavor of the pupusas.
The sisters also opened a location in Boulder. But they are now split, and Quijada Diaz is the sole owner of the original shop on South Colorado, she said.
What to order: Pupusa revuelta with pork, bean and cheese; pupusa with loroco (a flower akin to squash blossom, Diaz said) and cheese; mixed platter with two pupusas and a tamal.
2236 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver
Reem’s Bakery
Looking for dessert? Step inside Reem’s Bakery, where adorned display cases present trays of glistening baklava and other Syrian treats. Though modern history might make some more familiar with their Dubai chocolate confections or ice cream, featuring a brightly colored green pistachio, the baklava is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert and Reem’s specialty. Their best are the honey-almond and walnut varieties. Sticky, flaky and sweet, these little dessert bars can end (or start) any day on a strong note.
What to order: Honey-almond baklava; half-dome Dubai chocolate.
2418 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver
Unique Indian Cuisine
Like many of the other restaurants on South Colorado, Unique Indian serves a complex mix of fragrant dishes that are hidden behind basic, even drab exteriors. But inside, it’s clear from the menu, the soothing instrumental music and the wall-art of birds and rushing water, that Unique Indian Food’s aim is to comfort.
The restaurant not only nails the vegetarian dishes — the chana saag, a chickpea and spinach curry of mint green color, is ideal when scooped with rice over an order of butter naan — its talents extend to Tibetan momo and noodles with shrimp or chicken. They’re enjoyed best with a Coke or a yogurt lassi.
What to order: Chana saag (chickpea and spinach curry); lentil (dal) soup; rose lassi drink.
2246 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver
